Welcome to the Circus
by Hisoka yume
Summary: This was crazy, no, this was beyond crazy, this was a total nightmare. It was already bad enough that he had to relive his childhood memories of the circus, but with this thrown into the mix, it was utter madness. From seeing those ugly monstrous beasts, to dodging knives from every corner, to seeing meat. Meat. Everywhere.
1. Welcome, Welcome All

_**Author's Note:**_

So, I just recently played 'Psychonauts,' mostly because it was available for the PS4; well downloadable version anyway. And I have to say, like everyone who has played it, it's pretty good. Love the characters, the story, even the very concept of just going inside people's minds alone intrigued me from the start. Overall, good game...though that infamous meat circus level...yikes, to me personally, story-wise it was good, though gameplay wise, not the best.

I believe it took me around two hours to complete the level without having the urge to quit and leave it for another day; had to play the level twice since the game froze, and it was during the night, couldn't get passed the rings of fire, anyways I digress, the whole reason I wrote this was mostly out of fun, wondering what the level would be like if it was written in a form of a story. Wasn't going to put it up, but seeing how there aren't that many fics for this game, I decided to. Generally it's the same, but I kind of wanted to make it _different _ as well. Hopefully it's worth the read.

Enjoy.

 **:)**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own 'Psychonauts'_**

* * *

This was crazy, no, this was beyond crazy, this was a total nightmare. It was already bad enough that he had to relive his childhood memories of the circus, but with _this_ thrown into the mix, it was utter madness. From seeing those ugly monstrous beasts, to dodging knives from every corner, to seeing meat. _Meat. Everywhere._ His whole world was literally bent, and twisted at will into creating this disturbing eerie place. No matter where he turned, grinded, climbed, jumped or swung, the variety of meat was always there, as well as its horrible stench. In all due respect, he never did have a problem with meat, but, after spending a lot of time in _this_ place, well…let's just say that…he might have just now become a vegetarian.

But, even after holding his nose from time to time, and pushing forward, getting from one area to the next, he kept saying to himself to remain calm. Especially in a critical situation like this, not only has his mind been twisted, but another boy's as well. And, if memory serves, if the two minds continue to entwine, the damage could be permanent when split apart. So in this case, as he was balancing himself, walking over a rope, just racing to get to the quivering child ahead of him, it was clear that there was no time to show fear and disgust. What was his top priority right now was to keep that child safe from those meat-ish monstrosities.

"Don't worry Olly, I'm coming!" he yelled; trying so hard to pick up the pace.

Though as he did, little Olly didn't seemed to hear his cry. It was easily washed out over the horrendous sounds of the boy's mutated demons; each of them roaring, growling, circling the child ready to gobble him up. The boy would have fought back, but he was just too scared. The only thing he managed to do… was hold his only friend tighter in his arms. Eventually, he then closed his eyes and gave a small whimper. Seeing that his prey was cornered, one mutated bunny then raised its claw, about to give the first blow.

"Oh no you don't!"

But its attack was soon interrupted by another. Coming in full force was the other child. Once he stuck the landing, the impact sent the hideous creatures flying. Inflicting damage, some of them deceased, breaking into pieces, while others simply fell off the steak-ish platform the group was standing on. After hearing the last screech fade into the distance, the young ten year old couldn't help but give a smug look.

"Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about," he said; savoring the moment of victory.

Though, as soon as Olly diverted his attention to the meat grinder that was not too far from them, his expression was suddenly wiped clean. Horrifically, more of those creatures were coming out of the contraption, most of them displaying to be bigger and meaner than before.

"Oh no! They're coming back!" Olly exclaimed.

Still quivering, he then grabbed the other child's arm.

"You got to help me save him! You got to help me save Mr. Bun; he's the only friend I have left. If you don't help me then _**he'll**_ —"

He then stopped short, not even wanting to finish the sentence.

Noticing the terror in his eyes, the boy put his arm around him; trying to comfort him.

"Hey, hey, it's ok, I'll help you, don't worry, as long as we both stick together, _all_ of us will be fine."

 _Hopefully._

The last part he said mostly to himself.

Even though he was playing a good game of optimism and positivity, he was perhaps no different than the child before him. Sure he hadn't run into his own personal demons like Olly, but feeling how his muscles were aching, and his energy slowly draining, he was beginning to think that this set-up was his own personal nightmare in itself; reliving those days when he would do _nothing_ but _work_. Work. Work. Work. Work. That's all he ever did when he was at the circus; he thought, if he hadn't runaway, he probably would have _died_ from exhaustion.

 _Died…_

 _Die…._

 _DIE!_

That's when it suddenly hit him. Not wasting anymore time, he then grabbed Olly by the arm and activated his levitation ability.

"Come on! We need to find a safe place _now!_ "

Even though Olly was a bit baffled by his sudden change of behavior, he didn't dare question it either. As long as it meant getting away from those monsters, and keeping the bunny around his arm safe. Once when they hovered a great distance over the monsters, they landed safely on another platform, and exited the area.

* * *

This was bad, this was _very_ bad. Losing half your mind was one thing, but the possibility of _dying_ in your own head, well that's just….that's just _fantastic_. If he were to be rambling about the current situation to little Olly, he knew he would be wasting his breath, the child, not even noticing the hint of sarcasm in his voice at all. As a matter of fact, as they were running out of the tent and into the open, he couldn't help but notice that Olly's gaze was always towards the bunny. Because of this, it made him think that he's probably oblivious to what's really going on. Either he thinks all this is a part of his mind, or simply a nightmare.

As they continued running, the boy tried to remain focused. Even if they get to a safe place, the problem was still there. Just, _how_ was he going to unweave _both_ of their minds without causing damage? He pondered within every step he took, though nothing came. The only thing that clouded his head was his memories, it was strange, it was if his own mind was going against him; not wanting him to know the answer and leave this place. Blurred images kept flashing before his green eyes; though, he didn't feel a chill run down his spine, until he saw _**him.**_

In that moment, the child would've been swept into his own paranoia, but once when he suddenly felt his arm being tugged in another direction, the feeling sank; bringing him back to the situation at hand. Little Olly looked at the child, and gave a wide smile, he then tore from his grip and pointed across.

"Let's go on that ride. I'm sure it'll take us to a safe place. Plus it's one of my favorites," he said cheerfully.

Looking up at the sign, the boy immediately did a double take; gazing back between the person and sign. Feeling a bit uncomfortable and puzzled, he made an odd face.

" _Tunnel of Love?_ Am I reading that correctly?" he said; pointing to the letters.

While it was a rhetorical question, he couldn't really comprehend why, out of all rides, that _this_ one would be his favorite.

"Come on, let's go!" Olly said excitedly.

And before the other boy could protest, Olly sped up like a rocket with bunny in hand, getting on the ride.

"Uh, are you _sure_ it's this ride? There's other places we can go you know," he called out; though seeing how Olly was smiling and having his friend right next to him, he knew that it was already decided.

After giving a sigh of defeat, he then walked up to the swan-like boat, and sat on the right-side; accompanying him was the furry animal. Not really knowing what to do since the critter was staring at him, he simply gave an awkward smile. Though, once when the boat started to move on its own, the bunny looked away; twitching its cute little pink nose.

"You know, don't take this the wrong way, but, uh, I was kinda wondering, why is this bunny so special to you?" he asked; being curious, as well as trying to make conversation.

Having a response almost immediately, Olly faced him and smiled.

"Well that's easy, it's because he's my friend. All bunnies are my friends since I love playing with them so much."

Though, after saying that statement, Olly pondered for a bit; his expression suddenly changing.

"Well….they _were_ my friends," he uttered looking down, "Now all they want to do is hurt me for not saving them."

"Saving them?"

"Yeah, you see, my dads' a butcher and… he always thought rabbits were good for nothing, only saw them as food… _meat_. So he took them, _all_ of them, my friends, and… _chopped_ their heads off. Ever since then, I always had nightmares of those _monsters_ clawing at me and eating my face. "

Olly then grabbed the bunny, and moved him closer to his side.

"That's why I gotta protect Mr. Bunny; I don't want him to suffer the same fate the others had. And, if my _**Dad**_ finds him, then… it'll be over. "

 _So…he was traumatized; explaining the meat and those mutated monsters._

The boy continued to gaze at the pair.

 _That's just so cruel….having a father take a child's happiness away; or better yet, destroying it._

Another memory flashed before his eyes.

* * *

"But _**Dad**!"_

"No buts' _**Razputin**! _ It's time for you to get your head out of the clouds, and start taking your acrobatics more seriously. I'm tired of all this psychonauts nonsense you keep blabbering on about. It's time to move on from this child-ish dream and start looking at the bigger picture!"

"Oh yeah? And _what_ **is** the bigger picture?!"

…..

"That. You'll. _**Never**_. _**Be.**_ A _**Psychonaut!"**_

 _Riiiiip!_

 _Rip!_

 _Rip!_

Instantly being speechless and teary-eyed; the boy witnessed his father destroying his pamphlet.

 _Rip!_

 _Rip!_

All that he dreamed and hope for…were now in shreds.

* * *

 _Hmph….sometimes I wonder if he even loves me._

After shaking away the recent memory, he turned his attention back to Olly.

"…..I'm sorry that happened to you Olly. Really. No kid should ever experience something as horrific as that. Especially if it was caused by their own father," he said narrowing his eyes.

"As far as I'm aware _dads_ in general can be a real pain. Always telling you what to do, what not to do, thinking that they know what's _best_ for you, and all that—"

Noticing that he was starting to ramble, hinting of his own issues, he cut himself off mid-way.

Truthfully, ever since he ran away, and the subject of who he was, where he came from, or how his dad was like would come up, _**Raz**_ would either change the subject, (not wanting to talk about it) or give a simple answer that doesn't branch out into specifics. Sure he knew that the people there at camp would've been nice enough to help him with his issues and his…. _phobia,_ but for some odd reason, he just wasn't ready to fully open that door. Honestly, now that he was thinking about it, the only person he ever came close to talking about his life with… was with Agent Ford Cruller. Sure people from the outside world thought he was a loon, but in secrecy, he was a well-rounded man. A man who _seen_ that he had potential. Being what he wanted to be; unlike his own father. So, because of this, it was only natural that he would be more favorable to talk to, even if the saddest part… is that the man probably won't remember due to his unstable mind.

So, sparing Olly of his own problems, Raz cleared his throat, and changed the subject; re-focusing to Olly's problem.

"Sorry, it's just that I hate the thought that your Dad did that to you. Anyway, you don't have to worry about Mr. Bun. He's safe as long as you and I are around.

And if your Dad comes, well, I'll be sure to give him a _welcoming_ of my own," he said with a slight smile.

And, even though he may have sounded reassuring, Olly was still beyond terrified of his father. Thinking that if a battle started between the two; who would win would be one-sided. He would've told him this fact, but…seeing how it was nice that Raz would do whatever it takes to help him, he couldn't help but instead crack a small smile.

"Thanks," he uttered softly.

"No problem," Raz returned; reaching out and scratching the top of the bunny's head.

The furry animal seemed to enjoy the slight affection it was being given, but once when its ears slowly started to pick up an unusual sound, it almost attempted to jump off the boat. Olly's quick reflexes saved the little fella from going overboard.

"Hey, what's wrong little guy?" he asked; cradling him in his arms.

Though the only response that was given…was the critter continuously squirming.

 _This isn't good._

Hearing the sound himself, Raz leaned towards his side of the boat, and noticed the water. Instead of it being calm and steady, it was becoming more violent and wavy. Even after capturing a glimpse of it, turning away, he could've sworn he saw a shaded claw within the waves. As the sound grew louder though, his gaze then focused ahead of them. Instantly, terror was displayed in his eyes. By far, this was no ordinary ride.

 _The sound, it's a waterfall!_

Abruptly, the head of the swan then started to rotate. The two boys continued to stare at the unusual sight in silence. Once when the swan's glowing red eyes met theirs, it began to speak.

"You are now heading into the tunnel.

We would _love_ for you to survive it, so it is highly recommended that you keep your hands, legs, feet, and other body parts inside the boat at all times.

So please, sit back, scream, and enjoy the rest of the ride."

The head then rotated back into its proper place.

"Oh no! Hold on tight Mr. Bunny!" Olly exclaimed.

He then turned to Raz, noticing that he was completely stiff, and that his hands were clutching the end of the seat as if his life depended on it.

 _I don't want to fall in!_

 _I don't want to fall in!_

 _I don't want to fall in!_

Raz kept chanting to himself. Normally, when it comes to being on boats, he's perfectly fine, heck, he even rode a canoe at camp a couple of times, but when being inside a twisted mind like this, _anything_ could happen.

Still staring, Olly would have asked if he was ok, though once when everything was becoming dark, his attention was diverted back to the front; seeing that they were just moments away from dropping. Not wanting to risk falling out himself, he did what Raz did, and held the end of the seat with his hand tightly. Once he did, he instantly felt the drop. With no other words to express, the two children did what came naturally when riding a fast, dark, scary ride.

Scream.

* * *

They survived.

They _survived._

After spiraling through the darkness, they were finally brought into the light.

"Yeah! We made it!" Olly said happily.

Though, by the look in Raz's face he wasn't the least pleased. Even though he was fully aware of the dangers of this place, he felt a bit dumb for not taking these rides into consideration. Out of sheer luck, they managed to get through this death trap, but what if they got on another ride, one that's even more dangerous than this? Where would their luck be then? As the boat was coming to a stop, his eyes were now to the steady water. In that moment, he knew…he knew that if he made another careless decision, a _mistake_ , than both of them will be dead. Feeling determined, and most importantly, wanting to get the _hell_ out of the boat, Raz stood up from his seat.

"We are _never_ going to get on another one of these rides," he stated firmly.

And even though Olly understood the reason, he couldn't help but state the bright-side.

"Well, at least the ride got us to where we needed to go. Look," he instructed pointing.

As Raz followed little Olly's finger, he saw that he was pointing to a tent, one that was much bigger than the one the two escaped from. Once when the boat completely stopped, Raz then got off, and walked a few steps towards the tent. Putting his hand over his chin, he gave a skeptical look. After surviving the watery rollercoaster of doom, Raz wasn't going to walk into this one blindly. For his, and Olly's safety, he had to be sure this time.

 _Hmm, it must be another trap._

 _We're probably gonna have to take another route._

Reaching to this decision, Raz was going to tell Olly, but before he could turn around and address him, he saw that the child got off the boat and ran passed him.

"Come one, what are you waiting for," he yelled.

"No! Olly wait!

Stop!" Raz's eyes widen.

In a desperate attempt, he even tried using Telekinesis to grab the child as he ran after him; though there was no luck since Olly was far from his reach.

"Little Olly!" he called again; though before he knew it, he saw that the child slipped inside the tent.

Since his arms and legs were still aching, Raz slowed down to a stop to catch his breath. This wasn't like him, this wasn't like him at all, he's usually so full of energy, and, even if he _does_ get tired, thanks to his Dad's training, he hardly ever shows it, but now, for some reason, everything's different. Could…could it be perhaps that he's losing his touch, his acrobatic skills? No, it couldn't be that, who'd get rusty over not practicing for three days; especially if he's been adapting those skills to get from place to place, here, _and_ in the mental worlds. Once he caught his breath, Raz then eyed the tent.

 _Maybe…maybe since this place is half of my mind, not only are my memories exposed, but…my weakness too._

 _And….._

He then looked at the sign from the far right.

 _My demons…_

~THE BIG SHOW~

The sign read.

Realizing that this was _definitely_ a trap, a part of himself wanted to run, but, seeing how he'd had gotten this far in his journey, Raz didn't budge. Oleander was in there, and, as much as a jerk that man was, the _child_ within him really needed his help right now. Facing his demons will be no different to the people he helped at the asylum…or…at least Raz hoped.

 _Don't worry Raz._

 _You can do this._

 _You can do this…..it'll be….easy as pie…._

 _Or cake….cake could also work….._

 _Could go for some cake right about now actually…_

He then shook his head.

 _Ok now you're just stalling yourself…_

 _Get in there before something bad happens to little Olly…._

After taking a big breath, he then walked slowly towards the entrance, though once when he grabbed the fabric, he immediately stopped.

" _Razputin…"_

He heard a faint voice say.

"Huh? Who's….." he looked over his shoulder, "….there?"

Seeing that no-one was around, he returned his gaze to the tent; now opening the entrance wider.

"That voice…..I could've sworn it sounded like…"

….

"Nah…it….couldn't be….."

Knowing what he was getting himself into, Raz closed off his mind, not thinking about anything else but the situation. To him, this wasn't the time to get distracted; what-ever he heard earlier, it was going to have to wait.

"Well….here goes nothing…" he uttered; putting on his goggles.

And without another word, he slipped inside the tent.

* * *

"Hello?

Hello?

Olly?" Raz called out in the dark.

Though there was no response. Keeping his guard up, Raz continued to walk in the darkness.

"Little Olly?" he tried again.

And, before he knew it, a spotlight was instantly shone upon him.

"What the—"

His gaze turned to the ground.

There, standing by a mere inch from it, was a large circular hole. Just by gazing at the sight, it seemed bottomless, but since the hole itself was crafted with multiple layers of spinning blades, Raz didn't want to find out. Actually, the scene was pretty unsettling to look at regardless. Just seeing all that blood from the blades, dry and possibly fresh, Raz could imagine anyone just falling in there and being shredded into pieces….into meat. _Meat!_ For a spit second, an image of little Olly falling in with his pet and being cut to pieces filled his head. He would have definitely lost it if what he thought came true, though once when he took a good look at himself; seeing that his projection was still intact, he was slightly relieved. To him, that meant that the child was still alive. The rule is…in this _mind,_ if one goes, everyone goes.

Stepping away, he continued his search.

"Olly where are you?" he called out; being restless.

And before Raz was about to do something, a voice greeted him.

"Why, hello there.

Little _Bunny!"_

Hearing the voice, Raz quickly spun around, and saw him….Olly's father; the man who was the cause of the youth's traumatic nightmares, only in this world, this entity was anything _but_ a man. No, for one thing, his complexion was rather pale than pink, for he actually resembled a zombie, that is, if you're not counting the fact that he's also a giant as well. Though this didn't intimidate Raz, the most cliché-ish thing he could possibly think of for this situation, is that ol' saying, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Already being in a battle stance, Raz just wanted to get down to business.

"Where's little Olly?" he demanded.

"Oh, you mean my son?

Heh, heh, well, to tell you the truth, he's been a _very_ bad boy lately.

Honestly, him thinking that he can just runaway like that.

The boy needed a time out.

So—"

And, as if on cue, as he raised his hand, a cage unraveled from the darkness, and hung over the spinning blades. Instantly, the child's screams were heard when Raz turned around. Gasping, he saw that little Olly was in the cage, holding his bunny; both of them were just dangling a few feet from the dreaded device. Feeling angry, Raz gazed back at the demon and gritted his teeth.

"I've put him in there, in order for him to think about what's he's done."

"It's a bit much don'tcha think, after all, he was just protecting a friend," Raz said; trying to retain his cool.

"It's not much when a child disobeys you."

The father then slowly took out his butcher knife, and since he was already a giant, the tool was as well.

 _Alright, here we go._

Preparing for a battle, Raz positioned himself, about to use his levitation ability. Though once when he saw that the butcher raised his weapon to rip the fabric of the tent, instead of going after him, he was puzzled. Having a twisted smile on his face, the man finished his task and looked back at the child.

"Anyway, it's time for you to go. No _friends_ are allowed to visit when he's under time out."

And just like that, a portal instantly materialized inside the cut fabric, and started to suck Raz inside. Reacting quickly, Raz tried to run, but the force that was pulling him back was just too strong. In a failed attempt, he even tried to hold his grip on the ground with his fingers but to no avail. Once when he was finally sucked in, the portal closed and threw him out on the other side. Not really caring where he ended up, Raz picked himself up from the ground and raced to the portal.

"Oleander!"

Though the portal closed shut upon his reach.

"No!

No!" he slammed his fist against the wall.

"What am I gonna do, I have to get back in there!

Olly could—" he stopped mid-way; not wanting to _think_ it.

As silence continued to fill the air, Raz then lowered his head.

"So….it's true….I had a hunch that I would find you here…and here you are."

"Huh?"

Not expecting to hear a voice, Raz slowly turned around to see…..

…..his father; oddly enough, the appearance of the man wasn't altered.

Almost like if he was a piece that didn't belong in this awful world.

"Dad? Is….is it really you?" Raz choked out in disbelief.

Being stunned, he even pulled off his goggles to get a better look.

All was silence as his father simply gazed at the environment around him; first, out of curiosity, then finally, disgust. Knowing the _look_ all too well, Raz simply lowered his head in shame, and played with his fingers for a bit. He knew his father would never approve of any of this, but, deep down, he was silently wishing to change his mind if he were to see just how good of an agent he could be, though, seeing that his father caught him in a tangled mess, all hope Raz ever had to finally convince his father just went out the window.

"I…I can explain…" Raz said sadly; walking closer.

"There's no need…this is obviously the work of…. _mentalists_ ," his father said in disgust.

"Psychics…..them always running around, poking themselves inside other people's heads, just look at this place Razputin, it's a mess, it's been tampered with, polluted, perverted, the circus is ruined because of those good for nothing _freaks_!" he continued; yelling at his child.

Not really surprised by his father's rants, Raz was going to argue back, but remembering how their last argument went down, he remained silent. At this point, after everything he had been through, Raz just wanted all this to stop. Why, why can't he just accept that this is what he wanted to be? Even though he may not show it, he really does love his father, but seeing how he hates Psychics so much, it just makes Raz feel worse since he himself _**is**_ a Psychic, a person who is born with mental abilities. So because of this, it's like he's being rejected completely.

After taking another glance around the mental world, his father then gave Raz a suspicious look.

"Have you been associating with these _people_?"

From having his head down, Raz then gazed at his father.

"Y—Yes, but they're _not_ as bad as you think Dad.

The people there at camp were really nice, Milla, Sasha, a-and Cruller. They _help_ people instead ruining their lives. Point is Dad, not _all_ Psychics are bad."

"Hmph, seems to me like they brainwashed you, don't you remember who murdered your grand-father?" his father spat.

"Yes, a Psychic but—"

"But nothing, you know it and I know it. Those people killed your grand-father and **cursed** our entire family. They cursed our descendants to die in water! You would've been better off if you just pursued your stabled career as an acrobatic. But no, now you're one of…. _them_ ," he uttered coldly.

"No…that's not true. I can do both. I wouldn't have been half as good at navigating around places if it wasn't for your training Dad. I…" He gave a sigh, "I know I don't take the training as seriously as I should, and…. I know I can be a real pain and a whiner most of the time, but…I wouldn't trade those times with you for anything….because….those memories…. are the root of who I am. While this…"

He then hovered over the ground.

"…..this is just another part….

….and no amount of using Pyrokinesis could ever change that…" the last part; he mostly whispered to himself.

Realizing that he just can't _burn_ away his memories without a care in the world; like wanting his father to do, Raz had to accept in where he grew up in. Giving his levitation some rest, Raz then dropped back to the ground, and waited for his father's response. It took a moment, but he finally answered.

"Hm…well then…if you say you can do both.

Then…. _prove it,_ " he said with a wicked smile.

Though Raz was baffled….

"Huh?"

"You heard me," the father replied.

And within a blink of an eye, once he raised his hand and snapped his fingers, the whole area around the tent started to change. Everything warped and shaped into existence, from the trampolines, to the ropes, to the rings of fire, to so much more, though, due to little Olly's influence, most of the course was reconstructed out of meat. As Raz saw what he was in for, he then saw that his father took an in-human jump, and with his acrobatic skills, quickly made his way to a certain point of the course.

Once he planted his feet firmly on the meat-ish platform, he then eyed his son down below.

"Here's the deal, if you can complete this course _without_ using your powers, then it goes to show that I taught you well, and you were right, convincing me that you're capable of doing both. But, if you **fail** to complete this course," he gave an eerie chuckle, "….well…just take a look…" he instructed, pointing to the large circular barrel.

Starting to feel uneasy, Raz slowly walked to the barrel, and looked inside, once he did, water magically appeared. Once it started to rise, Raz quickly backed away and gazed at his father.

 _He can't be serious….is he?_

"So son, to put it bluntly, what's it's going to be, _die_ in the water, or show me what you got, the choice is yours, but better make haste, since the _clock_ has already started."

Having everything sink in, Raz continued to stare at his father, he couldn't believe it, even after saying something nice, saying that he helped contribute, and saying what he felt, the man _still_ didn't budge, _and_ literally turned his own words against him. His **fear** of his father out to get him was now a reality than a mere fantasy, and what's worse, his mind was working in his father's favor. Even though he wasn't showing it, he was becoming frightened of the thought that he had no control over his mind anymore, a voice in the dark kept saying something important, but due to the water continuously rising, Raz didn't think twice to even hear his own voice.

Instead, he foolishly took the bait and ran; bolting up the ladder; starting the course. By the look in Raz's eye, it was if he was a completely different person, him, no longer being a determined Psychonaut on a mission, but now a young boy, fighting, determined to prove his worth; wanting to be loved. The first section was a breeze, it being just pure jumping and swinging from one area to the next, the absurd part was when he was balancing himself on the ropes, when-ever he'd come across one, his father would be across, and would literally be trying to set him on fire; throwing flammable objects. In Raz's perspective, it was either be burned alive, or drown in his own hell. Luckily with time, which is also an enemy in itself, Raz managed to pass without being knocked over, or with the help of his abilities.

Though once when he took a leap of faith, and managed to grab the fence from the side of him, the rest of the course from here seemed utterly impossible to do without the use of said abilities. As Raz continued to climb the fence towards the edge, he saw from the corner of his eye that it was detached, and began again from a distance. Simple solution was to jump, but when the other fence is placed in a weird angle, he knew that he wouldn't make the jump, at least, not without the help of his levitation to give him the extra boost.

His father said to do this course without powers, he said to do it without fail, and then, he said to _**show**_ him what he was capable of. Show him….well…that's just what he was going to do. Still being determined, and pushing back the pain he'd been feeling, Raz then took another leap and used his levitation to get to the other side. Thankfully, he was able to continue the course this way, but the challenge was getting harder; as he repeated the same method, his face was being baked from the near flames. Yes, as crazy as it was, most of the fences were showered in flames, giving Raz a little bit of breathing room to climb. If he wasn't so afraid of water, he probably would have let go of the fence already, and dived into the refreshing liquid down below, but, because of those _hands_ , those claws, he'd rather take the heat and sweat.

After going through the rings, and passing the butcher knives, Raz was finally in the clear. Once he leaped to the last ladder, there was no-where to go but up; and he was happy; especially since when he looked down below, he saw that the water couldn't go any higher. Boy, he couldn't wait to see the look on his father's face when he'd seen that he finished the course, and made it all in one peace. Hopefully after all this, they can finally move on; putting this to rest. Still fighting through the pain though, Raz finally made it to the platform his father was standing on, and, after taking a couple of breaths', walked closer to him; smiling.

"Dad, I've made it!"

Though, instead of being happy….the father showed hatred and disappointment towards his child.

"You Cheated!" he yelled angrily; pointing.

But Raz quickly shook his head.

"No, I used the acrobatic skills that you taught me and—"

"Aaand, you **used** your powers!" he yelled.

"But…but I—"

"Save it, it just goes to show that **I** was right all along."

Then out of no-where, the father began to alter his appearance, he was no longer a person from the real world, but now an entity that blended within Raz's nightmares. Similar to Olly's father, he was a zombified version as well. Revealing the demon's true nature, it would have snapped Raz out of it, knowing that all this is a trick, and that he needed to _wake up_ and face his fear. But since he was in this illusion for so long, this nightmare shifted into reality in his eyes, no matter how the entity looked, even if it was Raz's perception to how he saw his father, he will continue to see the demon as his father.

"You're not an acrobat…..

You. Are. _**Not**_. My Son!"

And within that moment, Raz then felt the ground underneath him fade. Though with quick reflexes, he managed to reach out and grab part of what was left of the platform. Since he was so tired and weak from the course, he couldn't pick himself up. Seeing that he was dangling, hanging on for dear life, he was scared, vulnerable, and completely helpless for the first time ever.

"Dad! No! Please!" Raz begged; though his father didn't care.

He simply walked a little closer to the edge, and took one last look at his son.

"Farewell," he smiled.

"Heh… typically, I would say burn in hell, but, in your case, _drown_ in your own grave."

At this point, Raz would have been heart-broken, hearing such words from his father, but as soon as he saw that his fingers were slipping little by little, he only thought about wanting to stay alive. He was using every ounce of strength he had left, just trying desperately not to fall to his demise. But sadly, everything wasn't going in his favor, as he barely had any grip left, unexpectedly; his eyes were then drawn to his arm. There, unraveled from his sleeve, appeared the _friendship_ bracelet. Truthfully, he never wanted to put it on since the trinket wasn't his, but, considering how he valued it at the same time, not wanting it to get ruined with all the _collectives_ he had to get, he put it on for safe keeping.

But now, after nearly forgetting he had it, the bracelet was exposed, reminding him of _**her**_ _._ Just thinking about her and his life, it didn't make him feel any better, considering this was his last moment; his life was flashing before his eyes. Pretty soon, as he finally lost grip completely, he just simply gazed at his father as he fell to his watery grave. He couldn't get that look out of his head, that vile…sinister smile. One less Psychic to worry about in this world huh…

And once when he closed his eyes, he instantly felt the impact of the water on his back. It's cold grip, ripping through his body. As he continued to sink deeper into the depths, his desire of wanting to survive started to kick in. Even though he had held his breath, he was a very poor swimmer, though that didn't stop him. He had to get away, he had to…he had to. Moving his arms and legs, he frantically tried to swim to the surface.

He managed to, though once when he gasped for air, he instantly felt a hand wrap around his ankle. Quickly taking another breath, he was then dragged under with incredible force. Without thinking, he tried desperately to fight back, but the more he fought, the tighter the grip was. Pretty soon, more hands started to appear and began swarming the boy. Some of them, wrapping around him, slowly crushing his chest, others, simply pinning him, acting as restraints to keep him under or drag him down even lower. Sheer terror and hopelessness was now displayed in his eyes, as he then felt the clammy hands start to crawl on to his face. Even though it seemed pointless now, he was still trying to move, though as the seconds ticked by, he was beginning to feel light-headed. He was slowly losing consciousness, and losing the battle of the urge to hold his breath.

This was it, this was really the end then…losing all hope, his body began to slow down; his arms and legs just now going with the flow. Once his vision started to blur, he then finally couldn't take it anymore, and relieved himself of his suffocation. He opened his mouth, letting the water flow inside him; it destroying him from the inside and out. The water must be happy, finally claiming another victim. As Raz was now drifting into a daze, he slowly closed his eyes. All the strength that he had….. was now gone.

As Raz continued to float underneath peacefully, with his body completely untouched, a shaded figure unexpectedly came into the picture. The figure instantly dived into the water and hurriedly swam over to the boy. And once it did, it wasted no time to grab him by the arms, and carry him up to the surface.

Once the figure escaped the watery depths, the person continued to cradle the child in his arms. Not looking back at the sight, he pressed forward to safer ground. Finally, once when he was at a distance, he collapsed to his knees, placing the child over them. All was silent as the mysterious man gazed at the boy; his eyes filled with fear and worry. Very slowly, the man then took off Raz's favorite hat; showing his now damped hair.

"My son…." the man whispered faintly.


	2. Facing Your Demons

" _Razputin….._

 _Razputin…"_

The same voice called out.

 _Huh….Who's….there?_

* * *

Instantly opening his eyes, Raz quickly got up from the ground and turned over coughing. It was a terrible feeling, but he had to get every ounce of water out of his system. It took a while, but once when he was done, he then took a moment to breathe; slowly inhaling and exhaling. Still feeling shaken up though, he wiped his mouth, and gazed over at the water ahead of him. It was strange, not that he was complaining since he survived though, but… something didn't quite add up. With a fall like that, he shouldn't have made it, the whole course he ventured in was completely consumed by the water; which meant there shouldn't be ground, yet here he is.

Taking note of the scenery, Raz noticed the area had changed again. The course had disappeared just leaving the water, and land; the two being divided. Being confused, Raz then picked up his hand and scratched the side of his head. And, it didn't click at first, but when Raz continued to feel his hair, he then realized that he wasn't wearing his hat clipped with the goggles. Nor, his backpack, since he looked at his green shirt and didn't see his strap.

"Looking for these?" he heard a familiar voice.

Instantly feeling a chill, Raz dared to turn around, and saw the man.

Still having that vision in his head, Raz slowly got up to his feet, and took a couple of times back; nearly forgetting about the water.

"D-Dad?" his eyes filled with fear.

Setting the boy's things down to the ground, the father looked at his son. After studying him, the man closed his eyes, and looked down in shame. A child is supposed to love their parents…not fear them. He didn't think that this would be serious, but after looking up to his son again, seeing him starting to quiver, he knew he was wrong.

"Son, it's ok, it's me…it _really_ is me," the father said.

Though, Raz didn't buy it.

"No you're not! My Dad doesn't love me, he just wants me dead because I'm a Psychic," he said coldly.

"That's not true," the father returned.

Unexpectedly, tears started to form in Raz's eyes.

"Yes it is! I was nothing more but a burden to him. He…he would always put me to work, he would always restrict me into going to places, as if he was ashamed of me, and he would even stomp on my hopes and dreams, that _man_ was my father!"

Breaking down, Raz fell to his knees and started to cry.

"You're not him. He wouldn't _save_ me from the water; he'd drown himself if he even tried."

He then held his knees and continued to sob.

"He doesn't love me…." he repeated quietly.

Though as Raz continued to sob, he suddenly felt a warm body wrap around his. Trying to comfort his child in a time of need, the man had walked over and hugged him; the boy being close to his chest.

"But that's where you're wrong Razputin.

For your father does love you, he loves you more than anything else in this world. If something were to happen to you…it would simply destroy him, he wouldn't be able to live a fully happy life without his little boy."

Raz sniffed.

"…..If that's true, then _why_ does he act like he hates me? I had my suspicions, but he's probably a Psychic too."

"…..People….make mistakes Razputin…even parents…..your father was only trying to keep you safe from harm, in our family we have many enemies, and….I didn't want you to get caught in the middle."

The father then picked up his son's chin so he could look at him.

" **I** was being over-protective of you, that….I lost sight of what was truly important, your happiness."

He then stroked a piece of hair away from Raz's eyes.

"In the end, that's all that ever matters to a parent; seeing their child happy…seeing you happy," he smiled.

"That's why I wanted to apologize for what I did. I shouldn't have torn up that Pamphlet, or said those nasty things, fear and anger got the better of me. I want you to live your life to the fullest, pursue your dreams, either if it's being a Psychonaut or an acrobat, it's your choice. My only wish is for you to be happy…my son."

"So then….it really is you…" Raz said; looking at his father.

"….you….really did save me from drowning…."

In return, the father nodded.

And, as if he was seeing him for the first time, Raz's eyes widened.

"Dad!" he said smiling.

And without warning, Raz then hugged his father tightly, burying his face into his chest.

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I ran away from home. Everyone must have been worried sick."

"Heh…well….considering how you are, they were more worried of the _trouble_ you would get yourself into instead."

Hearing this, Raz did nothing but give a slight chuckle, remembering _those_ times; he's always been the sly one of the group after all.

"Speaking of which?" the father continued.

He then broke out of the hug and placed his arms on Raz's shoulders.

" _What_ **have** you gotten yourself into?" he asked, "Why is your _brain_ stuck inside a tank…with…with this other brain?"

"Uhhh…." Raz didn't really know where to begin, so, he did his best to just sum it up, "….bad guy taking over the world, and I was the only one who could stop him kinda thing…..heh…heh," he chuckled.

"Let me guess, the _bad_ guy is the camp consular," the father responded.

"Yeah—hey, wait a minute, how do you know that he's a camp consular, or better yet, that I went to camp if I didn't tell you?" Raz asked.

The father chuckled.

"Well, considering how we left things back at home, it was pretty obvious that you were going there, plus, I saw your backpack, and as for knowing a few _things_ , I sort of did a bit of poking around in that head of yours, checking every now and then that you weren't getting into too much trouble.

Though, once when I sensed that the connection I linked to you was getting disrupted, I knew something was wrong. So, I left Whispering Rock, and ended up finding that tank, and well….

…..this…." the last part, he referred to the mental world.

"It's not easy trying to make a projection of ones' self if the other person refuses to let them inside, I admire that your mind is hard to penetrate Razputin, not giving intruders a chance, but in times like these….well…let's just say… it's better to have an _open_ mind, than closed, others will be able to help you more…

….to help you find the courage to face your demons…"

Taking everything in, Raz just smiled.

"I knew it. You are a Psychic.

…I love you Dad…."

"I love you too Son…."

The two then continued to hug; everything around them being calm and peaceful.

"Though…there's one more thing that I still don't get," Raz said; still having his arms around his father.

"What's that son?" he asked.

Raz then pulled out of the hug.

"How were you even _able_ to save me? Like the rest of us, you're afraid of water too. You could've died."

Keeping a smile, the father was going to answer his child's question, though before he could, a voice suddenly broke into the air.

"Get away from him! He's mine!"

Quickly looking towards the direction of the voice, the two instantly saw a flammable object coming fast. With no hesitation, the father used his body as a shield; protecting his child as they ducked to the ground. As the spiraling flames flew over them, the object smack itself against the wall; it being wedge in.

"Curses, _another_ **_cheating_** Psychic to deal with," the demon spat; gazing in disgust.

And with no awareness that the demon himself was using Pyrokinesis, he lit another similar object into flames. As he remained standing on a platform safe from their reach, he gripped his weapon tightly in his palm, eyeing the _imposter_ that resembled him. As the real father continued to shield his son, he looked over his shoulder and saw the appearance of the demon. There it was, a narrow minded monster, with its vital existence to only hurt and torture his son, even to the point of nearly killing him. That mere thought alone, just disgusted the father, and even though he knew why Raz saw him this way in the mental world, considering the talk the two had, he still couldn't help himself.

"Do I _really_ look like _that_ in your mind?" he asked; turning to Raz.

Looking back, Raz was lost for words, for the most part, seeing that his father was witnessing his zombified self, Raz had to admit, it was a bit embarrassing. Not waiting for an answer though, the father got up, and helped Raz in the process. Once both of them were standing, the two continued to stare at the demon, though at the same time, backing away slowly. Still keeping eyes on the demon, the father remained in protective mode; being in front, having his arm spread out.

"Hmph, I don't care who you are but you're not welcomed here, this is only between me and my son," the demon talked.

"You mean _my_ son!" the father retorted.

" _Please,_ you're just a mere image of what he wants _me_ to be. I _**hate**_ seeing him happy," the demon returned; not feeling shaken.

While half-listening to the conversation, Raz quickly retrieved his backpack and put it on.

 _What am I gonna do?_

 _How am I gonna get rid of him?_

Raz turned looking at the demon.

Starting to think of a way out of all this, Raz then grabbed his hat. Though, before he could put it on, he suddenly felt a hand grab him by his backpack.

"Hey!" he retorted; though once when he saw that he was being pick up into the air, dangling below the water, his whole body began to freeze.

"Razputin!" his father cried.

Out of desperation, he tried to use his psychic energy to blast the demon off the platform, though, once when they were reflected back like bullets; the power proven to be useless.

"Hey, no fair! You **hate** Psychics remember?!

You **can't** use Telekinesis!" Raz called out; eyeing at the _thing_.

"Hmph, I honestly don't know what you're talking about, I'm simply _using_ what this mental world has to offer, and to your standards, what better way to teach you a lesson, than to teach it to you in your own head. Sadly, it's the only way you'll learn… ** _Psychic_**."

 _Man, this guy is a total loon._

 _Using psychic abilities, even though he doesn't like Psychics….._

 _Huh…hmm….wait a minute….._

And, in that very moment, everything became suddenly clear to Raz.

 _That's it!_

 _I remember reading about this once….demons tend to live in your deepest nightmares, and since nightmares are basically illusions mixed in with figments of a person's fear, demons have the ability to shape-shift and control certain aspects of the person's fear._

 _That explains why this whole world is working in his favor. I literally gave him the upper hand since I let him lured me into his trap, doing that course. But now since my Dad's here, the demon's existence is at stake. Not wanting to lose his hold on me, and not keeping the concept of my suspicions of Dad being a Psychic a secret anymore, he's using the water as a last resort._

Raz then looked at the water down below, and eventually gave a sigh.

… _It's that typical, fear consumes you kinda thing…._

He continued to stare, instantly seeing the clammy hands rise; all of them, eagerly waiting to catch him.

 _...you know…what good of a Psychonaut would I be, if I can't even face my own demons, I mean, I knew this world was dangerous, I knew something was waiting for me, and yet in the end, I failed…miserably….letting this_ _ **thing**_ _win….._

After nearly admitting defeat and accepting his fate, Raz then remembered something...

"It's better to have an _open_ mind, than closed, others will be able to help you more…

….to help you find the courage to face your demons…"

 _Dad….._

He then turned to his father; seeing fear in his eyes.

Eventually, Raz gave a soft smile towards him.

 _I know why you were able to save me now….._

"Now then, with no further interruptions, let's try this again," the demon said.

And with the wave of his hand, Raz was then released, but little did he know, instead of falling with fear, the boy instead seemed to _dive_ , facing his fear head on this time. Once he took a big breath, he then pierced through the water.

* * *

 _This may be my curse…..to die in it…._

 _But… fear of dying in it… is different….._

 _With the help of others, fear could disappear…._

 _Or… it could cancel out with another, taking its place…._

 _…Dad managed to do one…._

 _So….now… it's my turn to do the other….._

 _This is_ _ **my**_ _mind after all….._

* * *

Seeing that his son was gone, the father gazed in worry, though as soon as he started to hear the demon's evil laughter, he diverted his attention to him; gritting his teeth.

"You monster!" he cried.

But the demon retorted.

"Ha, I'm no monster; it was the child's own fault that he didn't play by my rules. Just goes to show that I'm the one that's going to be living forever.

Now then," he said; starting to take aim.

"How about I set you on fire?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice suddenly responded.

"Huh?"

The demon then lowered his hand, confused.

"Who's there?" he asked.

Though, instead of the voice responding back, the water in the center of them started to rise. Almost like a tornado, the water was swirling yet at the same time, still under the element of taking shape. As the two fathers continued to see the sight, an opening suddenly emerged, revealing a person. There, hovering, while also being surrounded by his least favorite element, was Raz. Giving a peeved look, he faced his demon with his pure green eyes. Oddly enough, as the waves continued to surround the boy, the demon could have sworn he saw that the hands were now guarding the child, instead of wanting to drown him… this surprisingly _scared_ the demon.

"You have done enough damage," Raz said with authority.

Not even looking away, he then put on his hat.

"You are a part of my mind, so I command you to stop," he continued; being serious.

"Hmph, and if I don't," the demon said; trying not to show fear.

"Well, we'll just have to do it the hard way then," Raz said with a smile.

And as if on Raz's command, the watery hands then started to reach out towards the demon. Instantly, the demon tried to fight back, throwing his lit weapons, though, it only proven to be useless since the water simply consumed the flames. Once he knew he wasn't getting anywhere, the fear on his face was now exposed.

"You know what they say, what goes around, comes around," Raz quipped.

The hands then started to grab the demon.

"No, No, you can't do this to me!

I'm your father!"

"Hmph. You. Are. _**Not.**_ My Father," Raz said coldly.

He then put on his goggles.

"And for the record, it's not _Psychic,_ its Raz…..

... **Razputin Aquato** …"

With no other words left to say, Raz then watched as the demon got lifted from the platform, and instantly dragged down to the watery depths; screaming. Once he was no more, the water merely consuming him, Raz kept an eye just to make sure _**it**_ didn't appear again. Though, seeing that nothing happened after, he then turned around and faced his real father. Overall, being proud for what his son did, the father smiled.

Once when everything was quiet again, the form of the water started to vanish, it going back to its calm state. Though, while this was happening, Raz attempted to do the trickiest method. Using his levitation, Raz managed to get some distance between him and the now steady water. If no-one knew any better, one would probably say that he was walking on it. Following the path back, Raz still had some difficulty, having the orange barrier faze in and out on him as he took small steps, but in due time, he made it safely across; with him happy to be back on land.

" _Phew,_ you know, even though I faced my demon, I _still_ don't like water," he said; looking over his shoulder.

"That's ok son, the important thing is that you conquered your fear and I couldn't be more proud," the father said happily.

"Thanks Dad…." Raz said facing him.

"….But it's not over yet.

There's still one more demon to take care of."

And since Raz regained control over half of his mind, he then used his psychic blast, and ripped a hole towards the circus tent. Once it happened, a portal within instantly materialized; sucking the two in.

 _Hold on Olly. We're coming._

* * *

"D-Don't worry Mr. Bunny, you're safe, as long as you're with me," Olly stammered.

As the child was clutching the little rabbit, he continued to shake. From being imprisoned inside a cage, to having horrific thoughts of what his father might do, Olly was beyond terrified. And, once when his eyes met the stained spinning blades done below, the mere sight of it didn't really help to try and calm his nerves. In the end, he just curled up in a corner, waiting…hoping for the best.

As the cage continued to dangle, his _father_ stared at him, or more specifically, at the _meat_ Olly had around his arms.

"I'll give you one last chance son. Either give me the bunny and go free, _**or**_ don't give it to me, and… suffer the consequences."

Once the demon uttered the last word, the cage then dropped a foot closer to the blades. Responding with a yelp, Olly just held his pet even tighter; shutting his eyes.

"Ahhhhh!

Somebody!

Anybody!

Help!" he cried.

"Hmph, typical of you, not listening to a word I'm saying," the father responded.

His cold eyes then met the chain above the cage.

"And...I guess if you're not willing to listen, than all this is pointless."

Gripping his butcher knife firmly, the demon raised it.

"In the end, no matter the variety, meat… will always be meat," he uttered coldly.

Lifting the knife even higher, the demon attempted to slice the chain, but once when he felt some kind of blast hit the back of his head, he missed.

"Hey! _Reject_ of Terror, why don't you pick on some-one your own size!"

Gritting his teeth, the demon sharply turned to see a familiar face.

"You!" he snarled.

Standing in a fighting stance along-side his father was Raz.

"Well, I'll say you got his attention alright," the father said; staring at the huge thing.

"Yeah, now it's time to kick some butt," his son smiled.

"Oh, and just _how_ are you going to do that? I can squash you like a bug with my size," the demon smirked.

Not having a quick comeback, the father interjected.

"Size doesn't matter, but….just to even the odds…."

A gold-ish orb suddenly materialized within his palms.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Raz asked confused.

"You'll see, here, take it," the father continued; handing it out.

At first Raz was hesitated, but, seeing that the glowing orb was in front of him, he eventually took it. Once it was in his hands, the orb then burst into waves of light; covering everything in sight. While the light-show lasted for a few seconds, everyone in the area was shielding their eyes, but once when it died down, everyone, including little Olly, saw that Raz's form had now changed. Respectfully, he still retained his small form, though with the psychic energy his father gave him, the light that bathed around him took shape as a bigger version of himself.

"Wow, this is so cool," Raz commented.

"Yeah well, enjoy it while it lasts, because I'm going to _chop_ you into _pieces_ ," the demon returned; angrily.

"Ha, bring it on!"

And before Raz knew it, the butcher came charging towards him, having not one, but _**two**_ bloody knives. Taking a quick swing, the demon attempted to chop the child's head clean off, though since Raz's projection was made of mostly light, the blade would have passed through the boy, unharmed, but, considering how Raz was treating this as a real fight, he ducked, having the blade miss regardless.

 _Heh, one thing about giants, is that they're always slow._

Having an opening, Raz then formed his hand into a fist. Once the light around him mimicked the same movement, he lunged in and punched the demon in the face. Even though it was a good blow, the demon still didn't let go of his blades, but that didn't stop Raz. Not wanting to give the thing a chance, he kept going, punching him repeatedly; almost like if the demon was his punching bag. Being surprised of what was happening, little Olly stared in awe.

"If…..he's able to stand up to him….then maybe …"

Olly turned to his bunny; thinking.

Continuing to punch, Raz saw that his plan was working, with every step the demon took; he was drawing closer and closer to the deadly grinder. Finally, all this was nearing its end, talk about using this huge thing as payback, considering all the hell Raz had been through being in this twisted place. As he quickly threw another punch, the demon was now standing on the edge.

 _One more punch should do it._

He smiled, about to give the final blow, until…..

"What…What's going on?"

Looking around, Raz saw that the light surrounding him was diminishing.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, not now!"

Though sadly, it completely faded, leaving him in his original form.

"Uh?" he uttered; eyeing at the monster.

Not knowing what to say, Raz saw that the demon was laughing.

"Told you it wouldn't last, now, it's my turn, but first," he eyed the cage.

"Let's get rid of this shall we?"

And with a quick swing, the butcher cut the chain.

Seeing that the cage fell into the hole, Raz didn't know how he would have reacted if little Olly was in there, but seeing he wasn't before it got crushed; Raz didn't flinch. Instead, he turned to his father, who was off in the distance, having little Olly right next to him.

"What, you honestly thought that I was going to stand around and do nothing?" his father said.

Not giving an answer, Raz only smiled; relieved that Oleander was ok.

"What! Impossible! How did you get out of your cage!" the butcher replied angrily; eyeing at his son.

"Well…..we're not magicians, but, you can do _wonders_ with misdirection," the father responded back.

"Y-Yeah," Olly added.

Surprisingly, he suddenly took a step forward.

"And, you know what Dad?" he gazed at his pet.

"I-If you want Mr. Bun…..

…..

Then come and get him," Olly finished; looking back at the butcher.

And before Raz or his father could question the child's motive, Olly sprang into a run. Having a twisted smile on his face, the butcher completely ignored Raz, and started to stomp, following his child.

"No! Stop!"

Raz then pulled off his goggles.

"Oleander!"

But it was no use, as he feared, the demon had lost interest and was pursuing little Olly; nothing will be able to break his concentration now. As the child continued to run, he heard from the loud stomps that his _father_ was right on his tail. Within every step, he could just hear his chuckles, and the violent swings of the knives.

"Come here little bunny," the demon said.

At this point, to Olly, it was either keep running, or lose your head. After taking another few steps though, little Olly then found himself face to face with a wall; not good. As he sharply turned, hoping to run again, he instantly saw that the butcher was blocking his path.

"Heh…Heh…Gotcha!"

With force, the butcher then raised his knife and swung it down. Though, instead of the knife piercing flesh, it made contact to the ground; luckily, with right timing, little Olly managed to move, missing the assault. Not wasting time as he was seeing the demon struggle, he ran towards the grinder. Once Olly made it to the edge, he then turned his attention back to his father.

It took a while, since the blade was wedged to the ground, but once he finally got it out, the butcher then turned and faced his son. Not even aware of his surroundings anymore, and was just beyond frustrated, he dashed forward, having the boy in his sights. Even though it was scary, having a mere monster coming after you, Olly's feet stayed planted on the ground. Once the monster came dangerously close, he then lunged in and took a swing.

In that moment, he thought he had him, but he was wrong. The second the butcher took the swing, Raz came running in, and quickly grabbed little Olly's arm. With the help of his levitation _ball_ , the boy was able to accelerate across, taking Oleander with him. The orange barrier wasn't just good for keeping unwanted things at a distance, or needing a boost. Once the two boys were safe, the orange glow faded, having them back on ground. Knowing that the demon would still be after them though, Raz looked back. But, as he eyed upon the sight, he then quickly turned away and shut his eyes.

There it was…..the sound of meat grinding…

The sound alone was both unsettling….and gross…

No doubt with that swing, the demon had fallen in….

After a while, the sound soon died down.

 _Well…at least it's over now…._

He opened his eyes; relieved.

"Are you boys alright?" the father came running in.

"Yeah…I think so…" Raz said.

He then turned to Olly.

"Yeah we're ok, and thanks to you, Mr. Bun is safe now," Olly said; looking back at Raz.

"Yeah well—"

He then thought about what Oleander did a second ago; seeing how he was planted firmly on the ground; facing his demon.

"—actually," he started; hoping to bring this towards Olly's attention.

Though, once when the ground shook, everyone's gaze suddenly turned towards the fabric of the tent. Surprisingly, everything within and around them was diminishing. Almost like if a black hole had opened up and was sucking and destroying this misshapen world. With something as bad as this happening, it could only mean one thing; the two minds were unwinding; originating back to being individual mental worlds, causing _**this**_ world to become non-existent. With wide eyes, the father spoke.

"The minds are unwinding, come on, we got to move!"

Wasting no time, Raz and Olly then started to run, following the father. Though, as the world around them was dissolving into nothingness, it was becoming rather tricky to see where they were going. But, seeing how they didn't want to get caught in the destruction, all of them continued running in the same direction, until…..

A blanket of darkness smothered them completely.

* * *

"No!

...

No!

Stop it! Get away from me!" he screamed.

He tried to run, but the shadow only caught him by the ankle.

Falling to the ground, he continued to struggle.

Seeing that his prey was squirming, it brought a certain gleam in its eye.

 _ **"Don't worry child, this is only a nightmare…..**_

 _ **I may not be able to harm you like the other entity you destroyed.**_

 _ **But, until the time is right, this will suffice."**_

Tree bark in the shape of hands then sprouted from the ground, and pinned the child down. Once _**it**_ saw that there was no escape, for him not being able to use his abilities, _**it**_ let go of his ankle.

"What are you going to do?" he asked; scared.

 _ **"Simple, I'm going to use someone else's fear to satisfy my need.**_

 _ **Though, this will only be a one-time thing. "**_

Then with a click of _**it's**_ fingers, a familiar, monstrous bunny unraveled from the shadows. In the sights of seeing the child, the bunny then hopped across and eyed over his meal; what a delicious carrot.

 _ **"Until we meet again…."**_

A smile began to form; _**it's**_ voice becoming eerily familiar.

 _ **"After all, when a person's fear disappears….**_

 _ **Another….will**_ _ **always**_ _ **takes its place….**_

 _ **That's…. where**_ _ **I**_ _ **come in…"**_

Without warning, the monstrous rabbit then dove in and started to snack on the child's face.

* * *

"AAAAHHHHH!"

"Raz!

"Raz!"

Seeing that his child was having a bad dream, the father came to his aid.

"It's ok, it's ok, you're safe," he said.

"No…no bunnies! No meat!" Raz cried.

And once when he finally opened his eyes, he instantly saw a field full of bunnies.

"Gah!"

"There, there, no more bad dreams Razputin, it's over now," the father said.

"…..It…..It is?"

"Heh, why don't you take a look?"

Nearly forgetting about the sudden nightmare, Raz then got up from the ground and took in his new surroundings. Looking back, he was instantly greeted by a familiar sight, the gypsy caravan, and in the far distance, the circus, along with the whole area covered in mist. Still a creepy place to the eye of a stranger, but to Raz, it was...well...home. After the sheer terror he witnessed, he couldn't be more glad to be back in his own mind. Even though the dangers' of one's mind is still inevitable, a place of refuge will always be provided. After all, a person's mind is not only a place filled with secrets and fears, no….there's much more to it than that.

Even though Raz gave an unhappy look the first time he was in this place, he was finally coming to terms that this place…. wasn't so bad; not at all.

A figment in a shape of a memory suddenly appeared; showing his Dad and his five year old self playing catch.

He gave a smile.

 _Not all the memories were bad…_

Once when the figment faded, Raz then turned his attention to the front, seeing the field. Being oddly curious, he walked towards the scene, only to be greeted by a barrier. He didn't go smacking into it, though he did felt some-kind of force pushing him back, so because of this, he just stood where he was; close to the invisible wall. After taking in the sights of Oleander's mind, little Olly himself then suddenly appeared, chasing after the bunny ahead of him.

"Mr. Bunny I'm tired, where are you leading me?" the boy cried.

Once when the bunny reached the barrier, he stopped, waiting for his friend to catch up. After he did, the boy quickly caught his breath, and scooped the critter up.

"Uh, hi, remember me?" Raz said to the child.

"Oh, hi, you're the kid that helped save Mr. Bun here," Olly said happily.

"Uh, yeah, I—"

"I just want to say thanks, you know, for _talking_ to my Dad, never thought I would see anybody stand up to him like that."

"Yeah…well," Raz then rubbed the side of his neck.

"…..to be fair about it, _you're_ the one that stood up to him, not me; I was only trying to protect you. So, if anybody deserve praise for standing up to their demons, it's you, it was all you."

He then turned to his father; then back to Olly.

"…your _**real**_ father…would have been proud of you."

And, knowing that there was a chance little Olly wouldn't understand, due to him only being a piece of the real Oleander's childhood, Raz continued; hoping the real him inside there somewhere will hear what he was going to say.

"I know I don't really know how your relationship with your Dad actually _**was**_ , but I know he would have been. Even though what he did was terrible, he's probably not as bad as a man you made him out to be. People…make mistakes after all…"

Seeing how little Olly continued to stare, Raz thought everything he said went over his head, but, as his own mind was beginning to fade, little Olly gave a genuine smile.

"…..Goodbye _Raz….."_

That was the first and last time, he ever heard his name from the child. Once when everything vanished; Raz was left alone with his father once again.

"You did good son," the father said; walking up and putting his hand on his shoulder.

"His brain has been taken out of the tank; you and him will be back in your own bodies in no time, so while we wait."

He then took Raz's hand and picked up his sleeve; revealing what was underneath.

Instantly aware of where this was going, Raz quickly blushed.

"Care to tell me about this _**Lili**_ person you keep thinking about."

"Dad, it's not like that," Raz quickly responded; pulling his arm away and covering the bracelet with his sleeve.

"Me and Lili are just…..I mean, her and I are—"

As the two now started to walk to the caravan, the father couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's ok, you can tell me about what you did at camp instead; but it won't leave you completely off the hook."

"Awww Dad!"

Once when the two were inside, the door closed; leaving a father and son to converse.

It was a start, but hopefully this moment would be the first of many; with a father and his son spending more time together.

* * *

 _ **"Soon…."**_ A voice whispered into the air.

A small crack from within the ground soon began to emerge.

As the figure gazed upon the mist above, it smiled with delight.

Though, since the crack within the surface was so small, _**it's**_ glowing yellow eye was the only thing that was visible.

 _ **"Very soon…Razputin…"**_

Now taking a form, the yellow eye was no longer seen.

Instead, a cold emerald eye was now gazing at the mental world above.

 _ **He**_ continued to smile, as the cracks slowly began to get wider.

It was only a matter of time, before he would be free.


End file.
